The Flaw of Contemporary "Christian Accountability"

I currently have and always have had a problem with how today's "evangelical" church focuses on "accountability." In the contemporary church setting, we most often hear the word "accountability" associated with having some fellow church member as a partner that we stay "accountable" to on a regular basis, and humbly confess all of our sinful nature to. To make this process more palatable to us, we then water it down to a "meeting for a cup of coffee every week at the local Starbucks or Dunkin' Donuts to talk about our week."

Here comes the "but." But, I think this misses the point of what we today refer to as "Christian Accountability." We all tend to think like we are still in primary school when the teachers would consistently say something to the effect of "Well Johnny, if you insist on mis-behaving, it may go on your permanent record, and then you will have trouble getting into college or getting a job." What nonsense.

Today I was talking to a friend of mine that I ride the train with whose opinion I trust and respect immensely. So, at the risk of losing the point she was making, I thought I just mind as well just quote what she said to me:

"Well, the irony is that with God there is no permanent record. Yet, we humans keep a checklist all the time of one another's actions and faults. We say we want to be Christlike. We say we forgive. Then we say, wait a minute, now I remember. I think the 11th commandment should be "thou shalt not keep account." My whole Christian education and church rearing was riddled with the word accountability. It creates a mind set that I think is detrimental to being a Christian within a community of believers. People go around keeping track of everything everyone else does. It is unhealthy. I have eradicated the word from my Christian dictionary. If you break the word down, it means having the ability to account. That is one ability I do not want to have. I have replaced it with a more constructive word - availability....having the ability to avail. The questions that come from that word are great."

Nuf said.